Hidayat Nur Wahid, one of the leaders of the parliament from the Islamist Justice Party, PKS, spoke recently on the topic of the "Beauty of Sharia" at the Islamic Book Fair (IBF) in Jakarta.

He said people had to understand that there were many different kinds of Muslim and that they had different understandings of sharia. Some Muslims thought of sharia in purely legalistic terms, others thought of it in terms of encouraging good character and behaviour. From the legalistic angle those who were listening to his speech, the attendees at the Book Fair, were committing a number of transgressions of Islamic law, he said. For example men and women were committing "proximity", mixing freely.

Hidayat Nur Wahid

Hidayat guessed that of all the books on sale at the Fair those in the category of Islamic law were the least sought after. There was a message in this, he said, understanding of sharia should not be restricted to legalistic forms, and should not be too much associated with caning, stoning, hand amputation, and such like.

To Hidayat some matters that should be associated more strongly with applying sharia in a full, complete way were cleanliness and good hygiene, so as to avoid disease, elimination of corruption among officials and businessmen, because Islamic law forbade bribery and dishonesty, and professionalism at one's work, so as to avoid transport accidents, perhaps like the recent Garuda crash. If sharia were applied properly 15% of Indonesians would not be illiterate, he added.

The main purpose of sharia was to create a society which was prosperous, peaceful, and fair. An issue like the Islamic economy and Islamic banking, finance and insurance was important in this, he said. Not only Muslims were becoming involved, and nearly all banks now had a shariah unit. Islamic banking promoted the practice of fairness, honesty, and transparency, and was a good example of sharia being employed for a useful, real-life outcome.

Additionally those of other faiths had to be considered, and living side by side with them tolerantly and peacefully was an important issue to be promoted. The beautiful things about sharia had to be emphasised, not the ugly. suaramerdeka

so as to avoid transport accidents, perhaps like the recent Garuda crash.

Does sharia-based law give directions about how to maintain railroad networks, ferryboats or to fly a Boeing 737?

The main purpose of sharia was to create a society which was prosperous, peaceful, and fair.

Laws by themselves don’t make a society prosperous and peaceful, only people can do that. As long as people don’t change, you can change as many laws as many you want, nothing will happen. Again someone is presenting sharia-based law as being the miracle cure for Indonesian society, without substantiating this with evidence.

I see the implementation of Sharia law resulting in increased discrimination between religions. The majority will see S.L as being the answer to Indonesia’s problems, but when there is no difference in lawfulness, crimes instigated by ‘Christians’ will be emphasised and crimes instigated by ‘Muslims’ will be more or less covered up. Similar to what happens in Bali – anything bad happening is automatically considered the misdeeds of Javanese residents. Those committed by Balinese are swept under the carpet.

El, they make their own interpretation and they have their horse blinkers on and think that they are more superior than others. They don’t understand that religious beliefs are that, BELIEFS. If one doesnt believe then others should not force it!

Guys, they would get much benefits if sharia is adapted, wouldn’t they?
I think for these people is Panca Sila no more worth (or different interpreted? especially the 1st sentence: Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa? Because in their understanding there is just one God? 🙁 )

Tom, the benefit they would gain is that nobody would be allowed to question anything they say. No debate or reasoning allowed, any dissenters or people with differing opinions tolerated.

With our outstanding reputation of being one of the most corrupt countries in the world, even in Departement Agama, It would be an ideal solution for certain people to bleed the country dry and not be open to critisism or justice.

What these people forget is that Al Quran clearly forbids compulsion in religion:

“Compulsion is incompatible with religion, therefore let there be no compulsion in religion. Now has the path of rectitude been made distinct from the path of error and holiness from vindictiveness. Therefore, he who rejects false beliefs and turns his attention to God with a religious mind, will have grasped firmly at the eternal, the unchangeable and the most secure hand-hold which shall never separate nor shall it suffer a break, and God is Omnipresent with illimitable audition, Omniscient” (Surah Al- Baqarah, Aye 256).

“Had God willed (O Muhammed), He would have induced all people domiciled on earth to conform to His will and to His system of faith and worship. Would you then twist peoples’ opinions into accordance with your party and force them to conform to Islam!” (Surah Yunus, Aye 99).

I see that most commentators here have a false sense of what sharia is.
But the most amazing thing I realise is that this person: Hidaya Nur Wahid has also shown that he lacks the understanding of what sharia is.

Sharia is essentially a set of rules that govern Muslims and that’s it. It should not be imposed on non-Muslims and it should be a seperate institution, independent from the judiciary body. This is the case for non-Islamic country.

In Muslim countries, sharia laws should not exist. Because having a sharia system is implying that there exist another system which is not Islamic (i.e: the national laws must in itself be based on Qur’an, Hadith, Ijma & Qiyas). How can a country call itself an Islamic country if it has non-Islamic laws for the Muslims?

What may exist to ‘cater’ to Non-Muslims would then be a set of rules that is seperate from the national laws of that Islamic country – a secularistic law to be imposed only on non-Muslims.

And because Indonesia is a non-Islamic country, if sharia is to be implmented, it should exist independently and not to be imposed as a national law – to non-Muslims.

The main purpose of sharia was to create a society which was prosperous, peaceful, and fair

China and India do not need shariah law to start from scratch. China is now an economic power and India is on her way up. The reason why Indonesia is a 3rd world nation is that corruptions have become a tradition under Pak Harto. Now that he is gone, it is time for us to rebuilt our great country. Indonesia is not a poor country, but a very badly mismanaged one. Shariah Law can only impede our progress as it is very Middle Eastern and male-centred, as opposed to our equal-gender society pre-Islamic era.

Forget about most commentators here, most Muslims have a false sense of what Sharia is, look at the different interpretations around the world. They all in contradict what Allah has given us in Al Quran.

Sharia as a set of laws or rules is not mentioned once in Al Quran as such, it is purely and simply Allah’s Straight Path, and should be followed by the individual and not by society as a whole. It should not be enforced on anybody be they Muslim or not. Don’t forget Allah’s statement that there should be no compulsion in religion!

Sharia is essentially a set of rules that govern Muslims and that’s it

The Straight Path that is Allah’s is given for all people to follow:

“He has made plain to you of the religion what He enjoined upon Nuh and that which We have revealed to you and that which We enjoined upon Ibrahim and Musa and Isa that keep to obedience and be not divided therein; hard to the unbelievers is that which you call them to; Allah chooses for Himself whom He pleases, and guides to Himself him who turns (to Him), frequently.” 42:13

Sharia is not your Arabic tradition inspired, manmade laws, It is something so great that you obviously are unable to comprehend it. It is not what divides people, it is what inspires them to come together as one, working for tolerance and understanding, caring for the poor and dispossesed, spreading justice and equality and most importantly love of God.

And you said:

Hidaya Nur Wahid has also shown that he lacks the understanding of what sharia is.

yunir,
surely I don’t really understand sharia. But I understand that Indonesia is (still) a secular country, where many people live with different religions and believes and that Indonesia already has a good law.
If Sharia is implemented, which law or reglementation should then used in arguable cases?
Two laws in a country? Like two pilots in a plane?
What about the case if the Hindus also want their religious rules implemented? And the Christians? And if the dayaks and the papuan people want it too?
Btw: why are you wondering about the wrong understanding of non moslems about sharia if many moslems themselves do it?

Regardsing Cutting of the Hand, you have been shown before different interpretations of the relevant verse in Al Quran, which are more indicative of a merciful, understanding God, but you still choose the most violent, that says something about your character does it not?

As for lashing, it is in the Quran, and it can be applied to those who freely admit the jurisdiction of Quranic law if they are proven to commit adultery, that is betraying the contract with their spouses. It is in reality a public shame, rather than a harsh physical punishment, since the word used for lash is JiLD, derived from the same root used for skin.

Sharia is essentially a set of rules that govern Muslims and that’s it. It should not be imposed on non-Muslims and it should be a seperate institution, independent from the judiciary body. This is the case for non-Islamic country.

In theory it sounds nice and easy, but in practice it will be a completely different thing. Discrimination of non-Muslims has existed in Indonesia for a long time. Look at these quotes from a Time Magazine article –

In West Java, three women are serving three-year prison terms for running Christian kindergarten classes also attended by Muslim children.

Why are the women in prison? Is there a law that says you can’t teach a Christian kindergarten class? If Christian parents willingly sent their children to a Muslim kindergarten would the teachers be arrested for trying to ‘convert’ the Christian children ti Islam???

and again, same article…

At many public schools in Jakarta, female students and teachers are strongly encouraged to wear the jilbab on Fridays””and face stigmatization if they don’t.

Why are they ‘strongly encouraged’? – it’s a public, ie, secular, school. Some of the students and teachers may not be Muslim. Btw, I also know it’s increadibly difficult for a non-Muslim to gain promotions in the public service – further discrimination (dhimmis).

and again…

As for southern Sulawesi’s non-Muslim minority, who are required to wear headscarves if they want to enter civil service, Hasan says, “It’s just like any uniform, where you wear a shirt of a specific color. There’s no problem.”

which are more indicative of a merciful, understanding God, but you still choose the most violent, that says something about your character does it not?

This morning I read and watch the crime news in newspaper and televesion, there are murders.
Two of them are might be business or just rob crime and the victim shot two death by about 6 shots and the killer was clever enough to plan the murder near a shooting training range and people surrounding it sure heard the gunshots but didn’t know that it was a cold blooded murder.
The other one is a rape to death.
Well those two are enough to show that many criminals don’t need merciful compassion.

This is not just about punishing criminals, it is much deeper than that. Capital punishment does not work it is not a deterrent, just look at the overcrowded jails in America for proof of that. Has our death penalty succeeded in stopping drug smugglers from smuggling their drugs into Indonesia, the answer is no!

“And not alike are the good and the evil. Repel (evil) with what is best, when lo! he between whom and you was enmity would be as if he were a warm friend.” 41:34

For me death penalty were not supposed to be just a deterrent, just because the jail is full doesn’t mean that death penalty is not a deterrent. Can you imagine if there were no death penalties maybe the jails will be more than just full.

Death penalty is also to penalise criminals that have stepped beyond humanity, once a person acted inhumanely then maybe death penalty is the only way.

There are many examples of countries where there is no capital punishment which have lower violence and crime rates than those who have the death penalty. I just don’t think that taking life, which is something God given, is a solution.

Has our death penalty succeeded in stopping drug smugglers from smuggling their drugs into Indonesia, the answer is no!

Sure no, but less heartless criminals to go and less people to be victims.

There are many examples of countries where there is no capital punishment which have lower violence

We live here, in Indonesia, not abroad. Count the capital punishment in Indonesia please then compare to the cold blooded criminals in jails and free from jail criminals who are making another crime (Penjahat kambuhan).

and crime rates than those who have the death penalty. I just don’t think that taking life, which is something God given, is a solution.

Then there’s should be a solution to reduce the cold blooded criminals to protect honest people. Show me, please.

Talking about death penalty, do you know the status of amrozy, imam samudra, etc? I thought they all wanted to go to heaven to dance salsa with the angels, like these ones: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oAl8RgSQGaA (warning, it’s not salsa).

Are they there already? I heard they all have just changed their mind, maybe they want to stay here — with us, infidels — taking more time for their salsa course.